Australian Ajla Tomljanovic‘s US Open return has confirmed to be quick lived after she withdrew from her second spherical conflict unable to again up from her the taxing victory in her first match of 2023.
The merciless blow got here after fellow Aussie Daria Saville was unable to beat World No.1 Iga Swaitek of their second spherical conflict. They had been the final two remaining Aussie girls within the match.
Tomljanovic stunned even herself within the opening spherical win over Panna Udvardy having returned from a knee damage which had sidelined her for the entire 2023 season.
However the emotion-charged three-set win got here at a price for the 30-year-old along with her rating set to plummet to No.292 after pulling out of her scheduled second-round conflict with fourth seed Elena Rybakina.
Tomljanovic hadn’t performed a match since pulling out of the Australian Open in January with a knee damage.
It was a large blow after an enormous 2022 which included Tomljanovic’s take down of Serena Williams‘ storeyed profession within the third spherical at Flushing Meadows and making the quarter-finals of each Wimbledon and the US Open.
Whereas she didn’t get “double-bagelled” as she feared, Saville, who solely resumed enjoying in June after 9 months out recovering from a torn ACL, misplaced in straight units
However she defied her rating of No.322 on the planet to place the highest seed via the ringer on Louis Armstrong Stadium, let down by a scarcity of second-serve firepower.
Saville solely received one level from 18 after failing to land her first function Swiatek took the match in a single hour and 33 minutes.
